apeirophobia
by moon-velvet
Summary: In which Sakura decides that forever isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Sasuke is more than a little confused. SasuSaku AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**apeirophobia**_

"Are you sure? Are you really sure?"

"No means no, Sakura."

"Well, you're no fun."

Sakura crossed her arms and slumped back in her overstuffed chair. Giving up on persuading her companion for the moment, she huffed and blew a piece of hair out of her eyes. Silence pooled between the two, cloaking the boy who was really just trying to get some work done and the girl trying to get his attention.

Sakura began to chew on a piece of hair that had tumbled back down across her face. A thought had just occurred to her.

"Say, Sasuke?"

"Mm?"

"You don't... have other plans, do you? I mean, you haven't forgotten about Naruto and I while studying your ass off? I mean, it's okay if you've met new friends in this study group thi-"

"It's 'Naruto and me'. You're substituting it for 'us', so you should use the objective case."

"Whatever. Answer the question please."

Sasuke sighed, and finally looked up from his textbook. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced over at Sakura. She was gazing at him, contemplatively winding a pink lock around her finger. He rolled his eyes.

"Stop going all five-year-old on me. Relax. Seriously, if I didn't know you any better, I'd think you were stalking me. You two pop up everywhere, ready to drug and kidnap me at the closest opportunity."

Sakura smiled. She was sure that Sasuke had no idea how attractive he was when he groused; the way he became animated and the way his hair (softer than hers; how fair was that?) fell into his dark eyes and was irritatedly pushed back were so endearing to Sakura. But he didn't need to know that. She was as close to a best friend to Sasuke as she would ever get. And he would be not-so-minorly creeped out if she started spouting declarations of love.

"The library is closing now! Please don't forget anything because we won't let you back in!"

Sakura mouthed the words along with the librarian, sighed, and pulled herself out of her chair. She stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Come on. We better get going."

She glanced down at the table, only to find Sasuke already standing in front of her, backpack on his shoulders, looking on in faint amusement.

"Aa."

"How do you do that? I swear, you were still writin-"

"Oi. Let's go."

Sakura walked beside Sasuke (always a little behind) as her sneakers scuffed along the pavement. She opened her mouth, glanced at her companion, then shut it. Silence seemed to suit Sasuke better than chatter, no matter how much she wanted to convince him to come to Naruto's party. Really, it wasn't even a party, she thought to herself, just a small get-together. What was so hard about at least _pretending _to be social for a few hours?

She opened her mouth again, determined to say what she had just thought, but her voice came out timid just the same. "Sasuke?"

He turned his head. Sakura shrugged. That was probably as much acknowledgment as she was going to get.

"Really, I wish you would come. It would mean a lot to Naruto."

_And to me_, she added silently, but that wasn't important for him to hear.

"No. I have to finish my studying."

"Oh. Okay then. That's okay." Sakura smiled sweetly, hoping he wouldn't notice that it was only with her mouth, not her eyes.

She made an abrupt turn onto a side street.

"See you," Sasuke heard quietly.

Momentarily nonplussed, Sasuke blinked as she left. He hadn't finished his sentence. And where was Sakura going? He shook his head and opened his textbook once more.


	2. Chapter 2

_**minutes and days and seasons and years**_

"Oi! Teme! Open up!"

The boy continued to enthusiastically pound at the door. A few minutes later, it slammed open.

"_What?_"

Naruto blinked innocently, all wide blue eyes and wide white grin.

"C'mon, you're missing the party!"

"No."

"Too bad!" Naruto waltzed into Sasuke's apartment, oblivious to the indignant sputtering coming from the boy. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the living room.

"You fell asleep, didn't you? That settles it. You have five minutes to wash up and get your ass out here before I get in there and start _beautifying_ you."

Aloof (and not at all frightened, honestly), Sasuke stalked into his bathroom. Exactly 4 minutes and 59 seconds later, he was standing next to Naruto, hands shoved in his pockets, scowl firmly on his face.

"Right then! Off we go." Naruto skipped off down the hall as Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed.

Once outside, Naruto paused for Sasuke to catch up.

"God, you walk slower than a turtle."

"Shut up, dobe. I just have enough self-respect to not bounce around like a toddler."

"What did you just call me, you fag?"

Sasuke smirked. Really, it was just too easy to annoy Naruto.

"You heard me. A toddler."

"Well, at least I'm not emotionally constipated. At least I don't have a stick shoved up my ass. And at least I don't pretend to be straight. You know Sasuke, I've seen you eyeing me. It's a little creepy."

Sasuke listened patiently to his friend's tirade, then promptly shoved him into the mud.

"What the hell, teme? We're going to a party!"

"Hn."

They approached the restaurant, Sasuke ambling stoically beside Naruto, who was sopping wet and muddy.

Sakura came out, a smile ready for her boys.

"Naruto, you're here. And I see you dragged the grouch."

"No kidding, Sakura-chan. I had to threaten him to get him out of his apartment."

"I'm not surprised. Anti-social grump."

Sasuke cleared his throat, tired of being ignored.

"You know you love us, Sasuke." Sakura grinned and struck a pose with Naruto.

"Morons."

"All right, all right, let's go in. I'm hungry!" And taking them both by the arm, Naruto pulled his friends inside.

Hours passed. Food was consumed, and more and more sake was drunk. Naruto became so inebriated that he tottered off to ask for a dance.

"He does know that's a guy, right?"

"Hn. Doubt it."

Sakura shrugged, and turned back to her sake.

"Mm, Sasuke."

"What?"

"We should do this more often."

"Are you kidding? And deal with..."

They paused to look at Naruto, who was busily trying to take off the vest of a young man. With his teeth.

"I'm just saying. We could theoretically tie him up and then... hey, stop raising your eyebrow. It's really not as scandalous as it sounds."

"You get to walk him home."

"Touché."

"Sakura, you need to learn a new phrase to express yourself with."

"Touché."

"Seriously."

Sakura tilted her head back and laughed. Draining her cup, she leaned forward and ruffled Sasuke's hair.

"You should worry about my vocabulary and I a little less."

"Dammit, _'me'_, not 'I'. I told you-"

"Objective case, yeah, yeah. Nerd."

Sasuke sniffed. He was not a nerd. He just appreciated good grammar.

"Do you have a rubber band by any chance?"

Sasuke wordlessly handed her the one around his wrist.

"Thanks." Sakura sat back and began to braid her hair. As she wove the pink strands, she almost scrutinized Sasuke. He shifted in his seat, beginning to feel like a specimen on display.

"You know, you have pretty hair. It's very shiny and soft, I'll bet. And your skin is gorgeous too. It's really not fair. Why is a boy prettier than all of the girls I know? Well, except Ino. But that's just because if she weren't prettier she'd commit suicide."

Sasuke leaned back amusedly and let Sakura ramble.

"...and really, it isn't fair. Why should I have to examine feces? It's med school, not... ew."

His attention had wandered. Oh god. Was that Naruto? Making out? With... was that one of their former teachers? One of the female ones, but really? Ah well. It wasn't any of his business. Sasuke snapped back to attention when Sakura called his name.

"-uke? Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"How long have we known each other again?" She peered at him, hair once again out of its braid.

Sasuke counted quickly. "Twelve years."

"Shit. That's a long time. We were seven, weren't we?"

"Hn."

She exhaled contentedly. "We were young then, ne, Sasuke-kun?"

Something caught in Sasuke's throat when he heard what she'd used to call him. Before they grew up.

"Anyway, I better get home. Good luck prying Naruto off... good Lord, is that Iruka-sensei?"

And just like that, she was gone again. Sasuke stared blankly after her for a few seconds, then directed his attention to his sexually frustrated friend.

"Oi. Dobe. Stop sucking face. Time to get out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I won't say things like "this is my first fanfic be nice plz" because if I did I would never improve. Please don't hesitate to offer criticism. Which isn't to say praise isn't a good thing. But yeah. Reviews would be lovely. Thank you. (And no, I do not own Naruto. I feel like the disclaimer isn't necessary anymore. So I won't write it more than this once.)

_**oblivion and shooting stars**_

"Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..." Naruto warbled as Sasuke staggered up the hill, supporting his drunk friend.

"Cretin. You're drunk. And I see more trouble than you do. You don't have to be friends with yourself."

Naruto waved a hand lazily. "S'all the same thing. I love you and you _looooove_ me. And Sak'ra-chan. We're your bestest buddies."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Anything for you, dear heart." He dumped Naruto on a bench and slumped down next to him.

Naruto sat up, rubbing his head, which Sasuke had accidentally (of course) knocked against the stone. It hurt like hell, but at least he didn't feel drunk anymore. Naruto looked up at the sky, staring blindly up at the night sky as he felt Sasuke sag and lean on him (just the tiniest bit because an Uchiha never leans), dozing lightly. Whistling through his teeth, Naruto set Sasuke on his feet and led him home, because_ someone_ had to look after the bastard.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Sasuke awoke, and with a growl, swept his alarm clock onto the floor. He hated the thing. Stupid fucking Naruto, who thought a puppy-shaped alarm clock would "melt the stick out your ass, teme". Stretching, Sasuke padded into the bathroom and blearily splashed water on his face. Ugh. At least today he had class, and therefore something to actually work at.

Sasuke bit into an apple, shouldered his backpack, and stepped out of his apartment. Plink. Plink. Plinkplinkplink. Well dammit. And now it was raining. And he didn't have time to go back up ten floors. Too bad. He would risk a cold.

Scowling, he turned right, determined to take the shortest route possible. A bobbing green umbrella appeared in his peripheral vision, and Sasuke wondered who would willingly be out in weather like this.

As he continued on, the umbrella hurried closer, and Sasuke soon found that it was Sakura, wearing blindingly blue rain boots and carrying a green umbrella, who had ventured out into the rain.

"Good morning, Sasuke." She smiled at him, and he glanced down to find that her eyes were fairly sparkling (except they _weren't_ because saying something like that would be disgustingly cheesy) with elation. Elation at what? Honestly, the girl had no common sense.

"Hn."

"Hey. Don't I deserve more than a syllable?" She poked him.

" ... Fine. Good morning." Sasuke rolled his eyes and surreptitiously tried to get under Sakura's umbrella, but had no luck. _Damn, I forgot how much shorter she is than I am. With her temper you'd never think that..._ He rubbed his jaw, recalling an incident or two when Sakura had lost her normal cheer and flown into a rage.

His efforts did not go unnoticed by Sakura, whose mouth twitched into a grin.

"Here. I came out here to give you this." She held the umbrella out at him. Sasuke blinked.

"Take it already. While you're having your weighty internal debates, neither of us is being covered." She shoved it at him and smiled.

Sasuke blinked again, then hesitantly took the umbrella. "Hn."

"I'll assume that means thank you."

She turned to go, waving merrily, but Sasuke stretched an arm out and stopped her.

"Wait."

Sakura turned back, hair already plastered to her face.

"Mhm?"

"Thanks for," Sasuke winced uncomfortably, "thanks for coming out."

"Attaboy, Sasuke. I'll go tell Naruto that we've made some progress defrosting the human icicle."

Sakura beamed at Sasuke once more, giving him time to appreciate the dark smudges under her (okay, fine) sparkling eyes.

"Well, I'll just be going th-"

"Your eyes have ugly bags under them."

Sakura paused. "What? Oh. I'm touched by your chivalrous concern and all. I look stunning, and you know it. I'm going home. See you later, Sasuke!"

Sasuke shrugged, and turned to go to class, safely under Sakura's green umbrella.

Sakura hesitated and watched him stride off, her cheeks dusted with pink (it's the cold, all right? fine, maybe it helps that he noticed).


End file.
